Because they have yet to pass national legislation protecting the chiropractic profession, Japanese DCs are in a similar situation that U.S. DCs faced. We were fortunate enough to be able to pass chiropractic licensure state by state. The DCs in Japan must accomplish this nationally, which has proved to be an extremely difficult task. And in spite of their efforts, Japanese DCs are currently faced with two chiropractic professions.
Peer to Peer: Election Season
Which political party is best suited to support chiropractic? Let's see what some of your peers think:
"The Democrat Party has been more helpful to chiropractors and their patients over the past 30 years than the Republican Party," said Dr. Richard Cole of Memphis, Tenn. "Based in part on their philosophy of taking care of the 'little man,' they tend be more inclusive, allowing chiropractors broad access to patients and ensuring that insurance companies pay for the care. They are less inclined to take care of large corporations (insurance companies) and like to see patients have more options."
Dr. Robert Smith of Easton, Pa., countered: "Unfortunately, more often Republican politicians are not as supportive of our profession as Democrats. However, from a reimbursement standpoint ... the Republican Party has better long-term economic and free-market solutions to help the profession."
In a recent ChiroPoll on the same topic, voters gave Republicans a slight edge over Democrats (33 percent vs. 27 percent), followed by the Libertarian and Green parties (10 percent; 7 percent). However, one in four voters cast a "None of the Above" vote.